Lounging chair with adjustable back rest



March 5; 1957 M. D. RECHLER LOUNGING CHAIR WITH ADJUSTABLE BACK REST 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March e; 1953 March 5, 1957 M. D. RECHLER LOUNGING CHAIR WITH ADJUSTABLE BACK REST 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 9. 1953 INVENTOR. Mm? 704 0. A L-6H1 5/? A r T OBNE Y United States Patent" "ice LOUNGING CHAIR WITH ADJUSTABLE BACK REST Morton D. Rechler, Great Neck, N. Y.

Application March 9, 1953, Serial No. 341,142

8 Claims. (Cl. 155-112) This invention concerns a bed type lounging chair having a main frame carrying folding parts enabling the chair to be adjusted to different positions for reclining, or as a full length lounge for sleeping.

One' of the features of the invention is in the design of the framework and arrangement of the folding parts whereby the chair may be fully assembled at the factory and then shipped in a package no longer than the main frame, making it unnecessary to disassemble any of the parts before packing.

Another feature is the provision of a cushioned folding back which swings into line with the main frame and mattress to give the lounge its full length.

Another feature is the provision of means operable by the occupant for enabling adjustment of the positions of the cushioned back while sitting in the chair.

Other features and advantages will appear as the description proceeds, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which 4 Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a chair embodying the invention,

Fig. 2 is a lengthwise sectional view of the chair shown in the Fig. 1 position,

Fig. 3 shows the positions of the parts when the back frame is down in line with the main frame,

Fig. 4 shows the chair folded for packing,

Fig. 5 is a cross section of line 5-5 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 6 is a cross section of line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

Referring at first to Fig. 1 it is seen that the chair has a main frame 10 upon which all of the other structural parts are carried. The frame 10 is generally U-shaped and is closed at its front end where it is provided with a support or leg frame 12. At the head end, the distal ends of the U-shaped frame are bent downwardly for mounting a cross rod 13 which carries the wheels 14 upon which the chair may be moved from place to place. These downwardly bent portions, the cross-rod 13 and the wheels 14 comprise a leg structure supporting the head end of the main frame.

A back frame 15 of U-shaped formation is pivoted at its terminal ends 16 by bolts 17 to stationary brackets 18 on legs or side rails 19 and 20 of main frame 10. Arm rests 21 and 22 are pivoted to brackets 23 and 24 fixed to side members 25 and 26 of back frame 15. The front ends of the arm rests are pivoted at 27 and 28 to the upper ends 29 and 30 of a U-frame 31 having pivotal connection to the side rails 19 and 20 by means of bolts 32 and 33 whereby the back frame 15 and the U-frame 31 are connected to move in unison about their pivots and with respect to a quadrant plate 34 fixed to rail 19. It will be noted that the distance along the side members 25, 26 from brackets 23, 24 to bolts 17 is approximately the same as the distance along the legs 37 of U-frame 31 from bolts 27, 28 to bolts 32, 33. Thus the arm rests constitute links between the U-frame and the back frame and remain substantially horizontal at all positions in which they are above the surface of the mattress later referred to.

2,783,824 Patented Mar. 5, 1957 The quadrant plate 34 has a series of holes 35 disposed radially about pivot 32 carried by leg 37 of U-frame 31. Pivot bolt 36 in legs 37 mounts a hand lever 38 provided with the forked end 39 which straddles the shank 40 of a spring actuated pin 41 having the enlarged end 42 adapted to selectively engage the holes 35 to change the position of the back frame 15 in relation to the main frame 10. The occupant can adjust the frames to their different positions by releasing pin 41 against spring 43 and then moving the assembly around pivot 32 to a selected place on the quadrant. The pin 41 and the spring 43 are mounted for sliding in a sleeve 44 suitably held in the leg 37 as shown or in other appropriate ways.

In Fig. 1 the cushions are shown in phantom lines. They consist of a mattress 45 which may rest upon spring suspended cross slats 46 or other supporting means, and a back cushion 47 placed against similar backing 48 of the adjustable back frame 15.

Fig. 2 illustrates the practically upright adjustment of the back cushion. From this position the quadrant may be disengaged by the pin 41 to bring the back frame 15 to other inclinations or to swing the frame into line with the main frame 10, in which latter case the arm rests 21 and 22 are below the top plane of the mattress and back cushion, as shown in Fig. 3. In this full reclining position a prop or third leg 49 pivoted at 50 to brackets 23 and 24 engages the floor surface 51. At the same time a brace rod 52 pivoted to the prop at 53 and mounted at its other end on cross rod 13 braces the structure and provides what may be termed a locked in position to support the back frame. There are two brace rods shown in Fig. l, and it will be noted that the springs 54 having their ends fastened to the structure at 17 and 53 are under tension in Fig. 3. This counterbalances the back frame utilizing the power of the springs to aid in lifting the back cushion and its frame.

In Fig. 4 the frame 31 without cushions has been swung to pull the arm rests forward and down to take up as little room as possible for shipping or storing. Also, the springs 54 are slack and the prop 49 has moved in so that it does not extend beyond the main outline of the chair.

It is to be noted that the U-frame 31 which includes the cross portion 55 is a continuous member spanning the chair and consequently braces the two side rails 19 and 20 against lateral deflection. Adjustments are positive in both directions and can be made by an occupant while sitting in the chair, because cross-bar 55 is always above the floor.

I claim:

1. A lounging chair comprising a main frame including side rails, wheels carried by said main frame at the head of the chair, a leg structure at the foot end of the chair, a U-frame pivoted to the side rails intermediate the head and foot ends of the chair, a back frame pivoted to the main frame adjacent the wheels, arm rests pivotally connected to the back frame and to the upper ends of the U- frame, a quadrant plate secured to the main frame and having a series of holes disposed radially about a pivot in the U-frame, and a hand lever pivoted on said U-frame and provided with a detent pin adapted to selectively engage the holes in the quadrant plate to adjust the position of the back frame.

2. A lounging chair according to claim 1, wherein the back frame is provided with a prop adapted to support said back frame from the floor when it is brought to full reclining position in horizontal alignment with the main frame.

3. A lounging chair according to claim 1, wherein the back frame is provided with a pivoted prop, means for operating the prop to bring it to a position against the floor beneath the back frame when the latter is in full reclining position, and a tension spring connected with the prop and the main frame adapted to aid in lifting the back frame.

4. A lounging chair comprising a main frame including side rails, a leg structure at the head of said main frame for supporting the head of the chair, a leg structure at the foot end of said main frame for supporting the foot of the chair, a U-frame pivoted to the side rails intermediate the head and foot ends of the chair and proportioned to swing clear of the floor, a back frame pivoted to the mainframe adjacent said leg structure at the head of said main frame, arm rests pivotally connected to the back frame and to the ends of the U-frame above the main frame, a quadrant plate secured to the main frame and having a series of recesses disposed radially about said pivot of the U-frame, and manually operable means attached to a second pivot in the U-frarne and provided with a detent pin adapted to selectively engage the recesses in the quadrant plate to adjust the position of the U-frame and thereby of the back frame.

5. A lounging chair comprising a main frame including substantially parallel side rails, a rigid U-frame comprising a cross portion extending beneath the main frame and two legs extending upwardly from the cross portion adjacent and on opposite sides of the respective side rails of said main frame and with the upper leg ends extending above the main frame, means pivotally securing said legs of said U-frame respectively to the said rails of said main frame at points intermediate the ends of the main frame and at points on said legs such that said cross portion is positioned above the floor and is free to swing at all adjustable positions, a leg structure supporting the front end of said main frame from the floor, a back frame pivotally secured to said side rails adjacent the rear end of the main frame, inextensible arm rest members pivotalfly connected between the back frame and the upper ends of the legs of the U-frame and providing links therebecludes a prop pivotally secured to said back frame and adapted to swing down to support the back frame from the" floor when said back frame is adjusted to substantially continuous alignment with the main frame.

7. A lounging chair according to claim 6 in which said prop is pivoted to said back frame at a point thereon above where said back frame is pivoted to the main frame, a brace is pivoted to said prop and to a lower point on the leg structure supporting the rear end of said main frame, and a tension spring is connected between the main frame and said prop serving to aid in lifting the back frame from reclined positions.

8. A lounging chair according to claim 5 in which the main frame is generally U-shaped, is closed at the front end, the legs of the U form the side rails of the frame, the distal ends of the legs are bent downwardly, a cross rod is mounted at the lower portion of the downwardlybent portions of the legs, and supporting wheels are carried on the outer end portions of the cross rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 121,034 Wilson Nov. 14, 1871 857,653 McCaulley June 25, 1907 882,902 Loshbough Mar. 24, 1908 2,282,270 Vallone May 5, 1942 2,300,422 Hickman Nov. 3, 1942 2,452,405 Vincent Oct. 26, 1948 2,681,099 Vallone June 15, 1954 

